


Falling from the Sky

by smolderingskies



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/M, Friendship/Love, Gun Violence, Injury Recovery, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Loneliness, Moving, Non-Graphic Violence, Platonic Romance, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 13:10:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3897577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smolderingskies/pseuds/smolderingskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kelly Chambers, 23, is a dancer on Earth who would love more than anything else in the world to leave her home planet and see the Citadel. A shady organization - Cerberus - approaches her with an offer much better than that of the Alliance, and she agrees to their offer, only to be forced to put on a smile in a brutal environment as she beings to discover what's important to her. [Originally written by me on FF.net]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling from the Sky

**Author's Note:**

> I originally started to write this story two years ago when I decided that Kelly Chambers was a poorly written character. So sweet, so sexy, yet so secretive, her character was somewhat inconsistent and was never given justice. She deserved a reason for her actions, and Bioware neglected to give her a backstory. This is the story of how Kelly began, of how she became the quiet and scared individual that she is. Why she can't stand to lose the love and trust of anyone, why she can't seem to focus on anything but her job. I hope you enjoy.

Her body was rubber, stretching and moving against the colors. Like a kaleidoscope, they whirled against her pale skin, the sweat making them glint and sparkle as if she had scales. Her long, red hair nearly touched the ground as she clamped her legs around the pole and stretched her head towards the ground, the incredible strength of her thighs and midriff keeping her aloft. The dancer was a siren, a true wonder of the world, as she twisted and turned to the deep, thudding beat. It was her, the music, and the lights. She was showing off for no one but herself, and as she somersaulted and spun she sometimes thought,  _maybe this is what space feels like._  The woman sometimes imagined that the exhilaration she felt when she pushed her body to the limit like this was similar to what it would feel like the first time she set foot on the Citadel. It would be only her, and the entire galaxy would be at her fingertips.

As the night came to a close and the final patrons left, Kelly exited the back door alone. She wasn't the best dancer in the club, nor the most prosperous, but she really did love her job. Sometimes, walking out in the middle of the night like this, made her want to run through the streets singing and dancing like the woman in that old musical RENT had done after her shift. Unfortunately, Kelly couldn't sing to save her life. Pulling her hair up into a bun, she took out her omnitool and opened her messages. Nothing new, but it wouldn't be long before her mother called. The sweet aging woman did so every single night shortly after her daughter's shift ended, just to make sure the night had gone smoothly. Although Kelly appreciated the sentiment, it wasn't hard for a nightly call to get annoying, especially when her mother could become a chatterbox.

The woman reread a message from an alliance recruiting officer, with a small, hopeful smile on her face.

> _Dear Miss Chambers,_
> 
> _I am pleased to let you know that, with a Bachelor's degree in psychology, you will be able to enter the Alliance Military and work in a handful of our colonies. It is possible you will work as an apprentice to any of our certified psychologists or psychiatrists. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your request of being stationed on the Citadel, as we have all necessary positions filled there. The Alliance is willing to help you find a spot among our ranks within the next few weeks. You will then be subject to basic training, allowing that you pass all basic physical health and drug tests. Please let me know if you would like to go through with this process, and we will get your paperwork submitted and on the way._
> 
> _Sincerely, Staff Sergeant L. Rodriguez_

Kelly was only a little disappointed, considering that it was her life's goal to visit and perhaps live on the Citadel. However, she was eager to join the Alliance for the fact that they would allow her to leave Earth. She had been hoping to receive her parents' blessing on the matter, so she could leave home with no qualms. As could be expected, they were not quite as enthusiastic about the military.

Miss Chambers did not wish to shoot guns or become a commanding officer, though. Her primary goal was to experience space travel – to see the stars racing by as she gazed out of the window of a thrumming ship, to shake hands with races she hadn't ever dreamed of. She longed to yell triumphantly as she skipped across the foreign grass of some newly rediscovered world. It was hard to believe that less than a hundred years ago, humans had truly believed they were the only life in the galaxy, in the universe. Kelly had watched thousands of vids about alien life and colonies, and kept up to date with the Citadel news. The woman remembered seeing photos –  _photographs!_  – of the fantastical creatures in her textbook for Alien Sociology and Psychology, a class she had taken as an elective in her senior year of college.

The dancer had not even made it halfway down the block when the inevitable call from her mother came in, which she answered in the cheeriest tone she could muster.

"Hello?"

"Kelly! How's your night going, honey?"

"It's been great, Mom," the woman replied, inspecting a nail under the dim light of the streetlamps. The more positive she was, the faster this was over.

"That's good to hear! Any secret admirers?" the woman asked in a teasing tone of voice. You could practically hear her wink.

"Heh. No… but I did get a message from the Alliance recruiter earlier today!"

There was a pregnant pause before the reply came through audible clenched teeth. "Oh? And what did he have to say?"

"It turns out that I can get a job as a psychologist, and they'll even put me on a colony so I can learn more!" the redhead explained elatedly. "He said that if I let him know now about my decision, I can be in basic training in a few weeks. I can't wait to go through with this!" Her mother waited for another long moment before responding.

"Kelly, dear, you know how your father and I feel about this. I just don't think this is a good opportunity for you. You can find a job elsewhere!"

"I'm not making enough money by just dancing," Kelly argued, her fingers clenching the bridge of her small nose in exasperation. "I've gotten a degree in psychology, I deserve to use it! The Alliance can give me a steady job and pay, and allow me to explore the galaxy while I'm at it. Why don't you understand that?"

"I understand that there are plenty of jobs and resources here on Earth, that you are perfectly capable of taking advantage of," her mother replied, the voice through the earpiece rising in aggravation. "You'll get over this space-age phase soon enough, just focus on what you have! I don't want to hear about my daughter's death after she's put on the front lines of the military."

"They won't put me on any lines; I'll be working as a psychologist!"

"Not until we're on the brink of a war!"

"We're completely at peace with the other species right now!"

"Kelly, the answer is no. Your father and I will not allow you to join the Alliance. I'm putting my foot down."

The psychologist was seething. She had reached her apartment building, an old crummy thing made of concrete. Stopping beside the door, she gently pressed a fist against the wall, restraining herself from the painful act of punching it. "I'm an adult now, Mother," Kelly replied, her voice plainly shaking with rage. "I'll do what I want. You and Dad aren't in charge of me anymore. I just thought it might be nice to get your approval." Ending the call my clicking a button on her omnitool, the woman made a guttural noise of irritation. Taking long, angry strides, she entered the apartment building and made a beeline for the elevator. She gave the smoky-eyed woman at the administrative desk a guilty glance, knowing her rent was running late again.

Reaching her apartment, she fumbled with the door code before it slid open, allowing her to enter. Stumbling over to a light switch, Kelly flipped on the lights and kicked off her heels into the living room with a sigh of relief. Turning to her left and entering the crowded bathroom, she splashed her face off with cool water and used the toilet before letting her hair loose and changing into a more comfortable outfit, complete with bright pink yoga pants and a baggy t-shirt. Although most spacefarers slept in skintight, retro outfits that gave them more free movement and a more sci-fi feeling, people on Earth liked to stick to their nearly traditional attire of jeans, t-shirts, and sweatpants. Kelly wasn't exactly looking forward to the dress code change, but she wasn't going to worry herself over it at this point.

Scarfing down a bowl of generic cereal, the woman placed the dish in the sink and headed straight for her bedroom, squeezing between her bed and her dresser to get to her lamp and turn it off. Kelly made a note to herself to get in touch with the Alliance officer first thing in the morning. The increase in income couldn't hurt for sure, and by the forces above she couldn't wait to be among the stars.

Just as she turned off her lamp, she gazed out the window. An entire galaxy stared back at her, the stars throbbing and churning billions of light years away. She was lost in the wonder of the very universe itself, and a glow of excitement began to fill her body. Kelly was so close – so close to becoming another dot in the sky, to becoming another part of the equation in this big, black world. The woman settled on her bed, and when she closed her eyes the stars danced on her eyelids, taking her away until morning.


End file.
